Homer and his impact on the Greek Culture Essay

First seeds of poetry were born among the Greeks even before writing was invented. Poets were bards, chanting gripping narrative epic war poems and emotional ballads. Homer was a Greek poet, to whom are attributed the great epics, the Iliad, the story of the siege of Troy, and the Odyssey, the tale of Ulysses’ wanderings. The place of his birth is doubtful, probably a Greek colony on the coast of Asia Minor, traditionally is described as blind and is believed to have lived in Ionia around 800 BCE. Of the true Homer, nothing is positively known. Arguments have long raged over whether his works are in fact by the same hand, or have their origins in the lays of Homer and his followers (Homeridae). Earmarks of oral poetry in the works, such as formulaic phrases, make it believable that the contribution of Homer was to collect and record the ballads which had been passed on orally from storyteller to storyteller for centuries before his time. There seems little doubt that the works were originally based on current ballads which were much modified and extended. There is, however, another tradition that Homer’s poems were not written down and standardized until Peisistratus, tyrant of Athens, commissioned this work in the first half of the sixth century. Homer’s works appealed greatly to the Greeks of his time and even to the modern readers, due to the thrilling adventures and tragedies featured in them. Homer’s epics enhanced the ideas of heroism and courage, ideas which deeply fascinated the Greeks of the Dark Age Greece and satisfied their hunger for such compositions. Homer’s creations kept alive the traditional songs about the heroes of the Mycenaean age, which were naturally regarded by the Greeks of the time as the good old days. Homer’s contribution to the Greek Culture was enormous. From about 1200 B.C. and for seven hundred years until Plato’s his two famous epics were the basis of Greek religion and morals, the chief source of history, and even of  practical information on geography, metallurgy, navigation, and shipbuilding. Homer’s impact was so colossal that he is often referred to as the â€Å"Shaper of the Greek Spirit†. In Homer we find the beginnings of Greek humanism – a concern with man and his achievements . Homer was one of the few things the Greeks could agree on. The term arete emphasizes Homer’s ideals, arete stands for excellence on the battle field, courage and cunning, win fame and honor against impossible odds. The idea of arete so widely spread by Homer formed the foundation of the Greek view of the world. Homer’s impact on the Greek Culture was so tremendous that in the Hellenistic Age, after the death of Alexander the Great, educated Greeks continued to learn Homer by heart, the way people in the West would know the Bible, or as Muslims the Koran.

Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious Essay

As Antonia Peacocke quotes in her essay, â€Å"The show Family Guy is one of the first in history that has been canceled not just once, but twice† (300-301). The show was brought back in August 2000 and again in July 2001 when fans could not get enough of the adult cartoon. As well as being a fan favorite, Family Guy is also a controversial topic for critics all over the world. In the essay, â€Å"Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious†, Antonia Peacocke analyzes the show and gives her reasons why it is not all negative and crude humor. Antonia Peacocke is a student at Harvard University. She is also a National Merit Scholar, and has won awards such as the Catherine Fairfax MacRae prize for Excellence in both English and Mathematics. She was asked to write this essay specifically for the book They Say, I say: with readings. The Peacocke’s main point of her entire essay is that she wants to let readers know why Family Guy is not a bad show, in her and others opinions, but one that has been criticized for solely bringing entertainment. Peacocke does a successful job in portraying this, but it is not completely clear until the end, where her thesis can be found. The very last sentence of the essay is her thesis: â€Å"While I love Family Guy as much as any fan, it’s important not to lose sight of what’s truly unfunny in real life – even as we appreciate what is hilarious in fiction† (Peacocke 308). Peacocke’s thesis could be a little more clear throughout her essay, therefore, I do not feel it is as effective as it could be, but the author clearly states her argument and presents her case. Peacocke starts the essay of by saying, â€Å" Before I was such a devotee, however, I was adamantly opposed to the program for its particular brand of humor† (Peacocke 300). She makes it clear her feelings about the show in the very beginning. Although she is a fan, she at one time disliked the show. She quotes Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics, as saying â€Å"a cartoon comedy that packs more gags per minute about race, sex, incest, bestiality, etc. than any other show [he] can think of† (Peacocke 300). She backs up her one time opinions by saying â€Å"It will come as no surprise that I was not alone in this view; many still denounce Family Guy as bigoted and crude† (Peacocke 300). Although the show is currently very successful, she says â€Å"It must be one of the few shows in television history that has been canceled not only once, but twice†¦ The show ran until August 2000, but was besieged by so many complaints†¦that Fox shelved it until July 2001† (Peacocke 300). Also, she says, â€Å"I must admit, I can see how parts of the show might seem offensive if taken at face value† (Peacocke 302). At one point Peacocke realized, â€Å" [I found myself] forced to give Family Guy a chance. It was simply everywhere â€Å" (Peacocke 302). One of Peacocke’s main points is that Family Guy has gained much positive attention. On Facebook, as Peacocke explains, â€Å"there are 23 universal separate Family Guy groups with a combined membership of 1,669 people (compared with only 6 groups protesting against Family Guy, with 105 members total). Users of the well-respected Internet Movie Database rate the show 8.8 out of 10† (Peacocke 303). As you can see, â€Å"among the public and within the industry, the show receives fantastic acclaim; it has won eight awards, including three primetime Emmys† (Peacocke 303). Also, when the show was on the brink of cancellation, â€Å" fans provided the brute source necessary to get it back on the air† (Peacocke 303). The more she was around the show, the more positively she viewed it. Peacocke then goes on to say that those who do not often watch the show, â€Å"could easily come to think that the cartoon takes pleasure in controversial humor just for its own s ake† Peacocke 303). The next main point that Peacocke claims is that viewers who â€Å"pay more attention and think about the creators’ intentions can see that Family Guy intelligently satirizes some aspects of American culture† (Peacocke 304). The next paragraph is a segment from an episode in season 4, which shows Stewie reading a book only because it was on the Oprah reading list. Peacocke says â€Å" [Brian and] Stewie demonstrate insightfully and comically how Americans are willing to follow the instructions of a celebrity blindly – and less willing to admit that they are doing so† (Peacocke 304). The jokes that Family Guy is known for, â€Å"attract a different kind of viewer. Such viewers are†¦conscious and critical viewers† (Peacocke 304). In my opinion, the very last sentence is the most powerful in the whole essay. Peacocke states â€Å"They are not – and I cannot stress this enough, self serving as it may seem – immoral or easily manipula ted people† (304). Peacocke says that it sheds light on, and allows viewers â€Å" the ability to analyze what they are watching, the creators of Family Guy point out the weaknesses and defects of U.S. society in a mocking and sometimes intolerant way† (Peacocke 305). A good example of this is the segment from the episode â€Å"I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar.† In this episode, â€Å"the ‘instructional video’ quoted above becomes not only funny but also insightful. In its satire, viewers can recognize the sickly sweet and falsely sensitive sexism of the 1950s in observing just how conveniently self-serving the speaker of the video appears. The message of the clips denounces and ridicules sexism rather than condoning it† (Peacocke 305). The last main point that Peacocke makes is that â€Å"Family Guy does not aim to hurt, and its creators take certain measures to keep it from hitting too hard†¦ Seth MacFarlane plainly states that there are certain jokes too upsetting to certain groups to go on the air† (Peacocke 307). Also, Peacocke states that â€Å"I believe Family Guy has its intelligent points, and some of its seemingly ‘coarse’ scenes often have hidden merit† (Peacocke 308). In the next sentence Peacocke does admit that â€Å"sometimes the creators do seem cross – or, perhaps, eagerly race past – the line of indecency† (Peacocke 308). In her closing paragraph, Peacocke questions the fact that â€Å"while Family Guy can provide a sort of relief by breaking down taboos, we must still wonder whether or not these taboos exist for a reason† (Peacocke 308). All three main points that the author makes are valid, and as seen in quotes, each main topic is backed up by main points. The first main point is that Family Guy is gaining positive attention. Although this is a valid point, as seen by the popularity, and the awards, this isn’t reason enough to call the show ‘good.’ As the author states, at one point she was not a fan of the show but it later turned onto it by exposure. The content of the show did not change for her opinion to change, she just gave the show a chance and realized she liked the humor. The second main point is that the show makes intellectual references to American culture. This is a valid point as to why the show is good. Any show with a little bit of substance makes references to the past and current topics. It tells what is going on in the world, and explains topics everybody should be aware of. The last main point is that Family Guy breaks rules that no other major TV program or network has been able to break. Although many critics believe these are rules that shouldn’t be broken, the creators believe it needs to be done. This makes it a ‘good’ because it crosses boundaries that others are afraid to cross. Conclusion will link back to first comparison to Freud. Work Cited Peacocke, Antonia. â€Å"Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious.† They Say, I Say: with readings. Ed. Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst, and Gerald Graff. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 300-308. Print.

A new teenage magazine with the target Essay Example for Free

A new teenage magazine with the target Essay ? The brief was to produce a new teenage magazine with the target audiences of either or both male or female within the target range of 13 to 19 years old. In the process of the production we could working in groups or individually. Working in a group of three produce front page and a double page spread article for the new magazine. In the production each member of the group need to have a minimum of three original pictures. Before staring the production i made a project schedule to with deadline for each sections of the production. To fulfil the brief i started researching similar text. It would best suit me to produce a magazine for male audience hence researched magazines complementing boy’s titles such as TOPGEAR, EVO and MAX POWER. The mise en scene and the conventions of all these magazines had resemblance regards to the design, layout. For example the magazine names where all in bold fonts with use of strong colours representing stereotypical macho man characteristics. Technical codes such as the high angle shots used to denote the power of the cars. All the magazines included vast number of images that consist of Mid shots, Mid Close Up and Mid Long shots of the cars facing the magazine to grab the attention of the readers so that they won’t be bored of reading a long article. The researches into similar text help me to decide some important aspects of the magazine. I carried out a questionnaire and interviews. the questionnaire was give to both males and females. I found that there was a demand for teenage car magazine in the market but my founding’s showed that females didn’t have much of interest in cars. The males where asked if they would or won’t buy the magazine the majority said they would if the magazines contented more of their interests of sex and cars. Whereas female’s lacked interest. in the questionnaire the done most participants were interested customising their cars. And that they find the cost of insurance and fuel to high some when considering to sale their cars. I have chosen my target audience to be male so both of the interviewee i interviewed where males between 16-19 drives. From this i would be able observe the interests and the difficulty first hand. To meet the demand of the targeted audience i have decided to have an article on ways to get cheaper and more affordable insurance. The format that I have decided to adopt is similar to the one of the other Car magazines and as this I found from the interview was preferable by my target audience. I have chosen the name TOPSPEED which follows the stereotype that most male readers want â€Å"fast cars† and â€Å"babes†. I would be reviewing a car that relates to target audience cars that has small engine and cheaper insurance category so that student can financially afford to drive it. The planning involved a subject matter research where the main research was done for Ford Fiesta ST in areas like car specification and it’s stability for young drives using i cold write up the double page spared article. The other area i researched was for student car insurance. This could be used to write up a mini article to help and give advice for getting cheap car insurance. I had never used Photoshop before so the whole process was an opportunity to learn new skill. I got some practise on Photoshop and Publisher before i started the final production. The technical skills that we practised in class include lighting. Regarding lighting, it can be used to create a particular mood. I started off by brainstorming me ideas. Finally deciding on car giving information and review car of a car that is affordable to teenagers as my target market will be more interested in rather than an expensive car that they may have trouble affording. I had descried to review the new Ford Fiesta ST because this would perfectly for my targeted audience since it had a small engine which uses less fuel plus it had i low insurance category meaning lower insurance premium. The Ford Fiesta ST was the sport version denoting speed and boy racers. Regards the design Ford was a very good looking Supermini which would easily grab the attention of the targeted audience. Analyzing the questionnaire cost of insurance was other area where young drivers had difficulties so i had decided to add tip to get cheap insurance. I write up a draft article using the information from the research which i will later improve for a magazine standard. Use this i experiment different layout for front cover and the double page spread and the use of font size different colours so that i had clear idea what work and what doesn’t in a car magazine plus this help with how i want to take the pictures. I experimented with different typeface for the magazine name with different font’s colours and size to see which suits best for the front cover. Before the photo shoot i had to have a miscellaneous paperwork and productions design which includes the location of the shoot which is in Edgware i won’t do any alteration to set design which is the car showroom. The showroom will have a good lighting so there is no need for me to arrange any sort of lighting for the shoot. I could have different action for the cars open doors or turn the wheel sideways will show the wheels properly and give the car character. The miscellaneous paperwork need to be done for risks assessment, equipment book forms, access permission and call sheets to be taken to the shoot location signed and dated by the person give the permission to take the photos The photo shoot was hard to arrange I called up several Ford dealerships to organise a photo shoot but only a couple of the dealership agreed to let me take pictures in there showrooms. The space around the car was limited for that reason most of the pictures i took was close up shoot or mid shoots i wasn’t able to get any long shoot which would have helped show all the outer features of the car. The showroom had too much light i couldn’t take some of the photos that i wanted. The car was parked in way that i could get pictures from back of the car. I wanted to take close up pictures of the speed-o-meter of the car but the staring wheel came was obstruction which i couldn’t get clear picture. The staring wheel was locked which meant i couldn’t turn the wheel sideways which is a convention in must car magazines. I didn’t want the background of the photos i took using Photoshop i cut them out with the Magic wand tool and using the smudge tool smoothen the edges. I did this with most of the photos i wanted to use in the production. i decides to use black background for the red car. This is because the colour of the car would stand out and it strong male on your face colours. When i placed the photos on the cover page over a black background you could still see the ragged edges around the car. To solve this problem i added drop back shadow which covered the edges. I decided to use all caps and with modern but simple bold fonts in white colour that would stand out with black background. I downloaded a font from internet that you could make barcode with it this way i could customize the barcode specifically for my magazine. Inside the magazine for the main headings i used the same fonts as i had on the front cover. Experimenting with the layout I found one that would suit the best for the double page article. I divided the columns into equal sizes with little gaps between to make it easy to read. I give white border around the all the pictures used in the double page spared and place them on top of each other to give it a nice effect. When i improved my draft article and paste it into the columns of the double page spread using auto flow the article was too long and didn’t fit into the area i wanted it. I thought that teens would be bored to read a long article so i decided to shorten it. I decided to have a different colour background for the mini article about insurance. A new teenage magazine with the target. (2017, Aug 02).

Laser tattoo removal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Laser tattoo removal - Essay Example Given these reasons for choosing to have tattoo, anyone can easily observe the obscurities and contradictions. That having a tattoo is a mark of stature contradicts the idea that tattoos are marks of criminals; that people have tattoos because it is a fad is opposite of anger against the society's norms. These contradictions suggest the dependence of each reason on the context one is applied to and on the prevailing societal mainstream, usually defined by the ruling class. For example, because today, tattoos have become available to people in all walks of life (criminals, included), it would be surprising to know that there was once a time when tattoos were only available to the elite and had become a fad to the royals. This started when the King of England, King Edward VII had his arm tattooed with a cross after his visit to Jerusalem in 1862 (Gilbert). In this period, tattoos are considered as status symbols. This role of tattoo does not differ greatly from its role in some primitive societies. The different ancient societies, distant from each other as they are, had similar views on tattooing. The Mayans, the Polynesians, the Samoans, Aztecs, and the Asians of the Ancient times: all considered tattoos as symbols of strength and stature in their societies. There, the leaders were the ones who usually had themselves tattooed; each design, although similar, was unique in a way that represented the story of the wearer-the wars they had participated, their losses, wins and adventures (Skin Stories: The Art and Culture of Polynesian Tattoo). Men who were to assume titles were tattooed as soon as they reach puberty, as a symbol of the start of their special roles. Those who refused were branded as cowards and would forever be outcasts in their respective societies ("Skin Stories: The Art and Culture of Polynesian Tattoo"). This was opposite to the tradition of the Japanese and Chinese. To them, a person with a tattoo was a branded criminal. A story in the Japanese history best exemplified this. It was once said that an emperor of Japan summoned a rebel and was supposed to punish him with death as he was supposed to do, given the rebel's crime. The emperor, instead, punished the rebel with a tattoo because the emperor was feeling "benevolent." It is doubtful, however that this "benevolence" was felt by the rebel, as being sentenced to a tattoo would mean being an outcast in a society and to his family as well. As it is known to all, shame and family are two concepts that were and still are very much important to the Japanese. In their culture, tattooing was a form of punishment that was only a level short of being penalized with death. This negative view of tattoos by the Japanese was influenced by the Chinese. Prior to this, the Japanese actually viewed tattoos in the same way as the Polynesians and Ma yans, being not only something that connotes one's stature but also as something that has a religious significance. This is supported by the discovery of the figures in the ancient Japanese tombs believed to be more than

Why the father and son relationship in the plays Hamlet Oedipus and Essay

Why the father and son relationship in the plays Hamlet Oedipus and the King and Death of a Salesman were important to the tragedy of each play - Essay Example The most important scene in the play is the supernatural confrontation of Hamlet with the ghost of his dead father. It is this scene that erupts a volcano of tragic and deepest feelings and emotions in Hamlet. We are enlightened on the character Hamlet and the relationship he shared with his beloved father. In the conversation that takes place between the father and son, the deep and intense admiration that Hamlet has for his father is clearly exposed, in addition to the differences they encountered between them. These experiences accounted for Hamlets inability to neither act in a decisive manner nor find real or concrete moral truths in his world. In ‘Oedipus and the King’ Oedipus was cursed due to the sin of his father and from birth it was prophesized that he would kill his father and would marry his mother. The Oracle had said – Lord of Thebes, do not sow a furrow of children against the will of the gods; for if you beget a son, that child will kill you, and all your house shall wade through blood." (The Oracle of Delphi to Laius  1. Euripides, Phoenician Women 20).To avoid such a catastrophe Oedipus leaves Corinth never to return again. But unfortunately, Oedipus had accidently killed his father after he confronted him on a narrow road and refused to let him pass, and following the solving of the riddle of the Sphinx was crowned the king of Thebes and unwittingly got married to his mother. In ‘Death of a Salesman’ by Arthur Miller, the author brings out the agony and angst of the middle-class in America who were trapped in a world of illusion. Everyone dreamed of the American Dream and wished to achieve it at any cost. The protagonist of Miller’s story is Willy Loman, a man in his sixties who seemed to be chasing the American Dream. Though he worked hard, he gradually understood that the dream was nothing but an illusion which he had been breathlessly pursuing all along. The

The Use of the Renewable Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Use of the Renewable Energy - Research Paper Example Production of renewable energy will therefore help in alleviating problems linked to this kind of dependence. Renewable energy has many benefits to the American nation in general’ provided it is pursued and produced in efficient ways. Homes and other socio-economic establishments using renewable are poised to save large sums of cash in the end in addition to them enjoying a stress-free environment. In many instances, use of renewable energy also renders citizens to fuel their homes independently thus making them less dependent. Owners of small business entities will also benefit from renewable energy, thus saving money that ids usually used to cater for utilities. Electricity producers and providers can also experience the many benefits accruing from development and supply of renewable energy. There is also Job creation and employment opportunities for professionals in the renewable energy subsector: people who are capable of inventing and innovating renewable energy options a nd products. Availability of renewable energy products makes the products cheaper.Use of conventional fuels has proved dangerous and has nearly subjected USA to political instabilities, disputes in trade and other unwanted impacts. USA’s reliance on other countries’ energy supplies has not brought any favors to the country. The prosperous country it is should be a wakeup call for the country to make.A more coherent and widespread generation and use of renewable energy faces a number of constraining factors.... Electricity producers and providers can also experience the many benefits accruing from development and supply of renewable energy. There is also Job creation and employment opportunities for professionals in the renewable energy subsector: people who are capable of inventing and innovating renewable energy options and products. Availability of renewable energy products makes the products cheaper. Use of conventional fuels has proved dangerous and has nearly subjected USA to political instabilities, disputes in trade and other unwanted impacts. USA’s reliance on other countries’ energy supplies has not brought any favors to the country. The prosperous country it is should be a wakeup call for the country to make and implement the necessary policies in the adoption and use of renewable energy. A more coherent and widespread generation and use of renewable energy faces a number of constraining factors: The American public is not sufficiently supplied with information on t he availability, benefits, and costs of the renewable energy option. Project initiators and supervisors in the renewable energy subsector have in many instances failed the test of understanding and solving the energy and other related needs of rural and to some extent the urban communities. They have also fallen short of designing and implementing projects that solve the energy problems especially in rural America. This can partly be explained by lack of these project initiators to involve the affected communities in the project design and implementation. Government agencies sometimes fail to assess effectively benefits and costs when contrasting and comparing renewable energy versus the traditional/conventional energy sources. This is a product of massive subsidization

TheParableoftheSadhu- assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TheParableoftheSadhu- assignment - Coursework Example But this is just one side of the interpretation, for the various other key factors also have to be considered. (1) All the members of the group were fully exhausted and still had to cover a fair amount of distance, at such a high altitude. Had they decided in favor of taking the sadhu along with them, their progress on that treacherous snowy path would have been hindered. Their very lives would have then been endangered. Perhaps, the most vital factor, based on which, the group’s decision cannot be totally termed as being an unethical one is attributable to a key fact. Both McCoy and Stephen were vulnerable to altitude sickness, and in fact, the former already started to feel some of the symptoms, by the time the sadhu came into the picture. Overall, it (the decision) can be rated to be an intense dilemma related to ethical choice. (1) Owing to the decision of deserting the sadhu, the group went on to promptly finish their trek with minimal hassles. But that is just one side o f the coin, and there indeed was something that can be described as a kind of loss, for the group. All of them would have surely been bogged down by guilty feeling. As a matter of fact, McCoy himself admitted that the approach adopted towards the sadhu went on to prick his conscience, for a very long time.

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LAW - Essay Example Balancing of an individual’s right to privacy with the media’s right to freedom of expression Domestic courts have adopted a two-stage test in attempting to balance the media’s right to freedom of expression and an individual’s right to privacy. In such cases, where there is a publication of private information, the court decides on two things. Firstly, is the information published private? Private in the sense that Article 8 protects it. If the answer is no, then the case concludes. If yes, the second query arises: must the interest of the holder of the private information or data yield to the right of freedom of expression granted on the publisher by Article 10? (DeCew 1997). Stage 1: Does (A) have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the relevant information? Key Domestic Case Law: Campbell v MGN Ltd [2004] 2 AC 457, HL The fundamental question in cases where there is an allegation of breach of information is whether the information disclosed is priva te and not public. There must be the presence of some interest of a personal nature that the claimant wishes to protect. In some cases, the answer to the question whether the information is public or private is obvious. ... This is because adequate protection was not afforded to her from publication of photographs taken without her consent or knowledge by paparazzi. Freedom of expression extends to publication of photographs, but the reputation and rights of others take importance as the photographs concerned images containing highly personal and or intimate information about an individual. In balancing articles 8 and 10, the contributions that the articles and photographs made to a public debate were the decisive factors. The public did not have a legitimate interest to know her private life. Everyone has a legitimate expectation for protection of his or her life. Therefore, article 8 had been violated (DeCew 1997).. Stage 2: Parallel Analysis In this analysis, neither article 8 or 10 has precedence over the other. If the values in both the articles are in conflict, intense focus on comparative importance of the rights in question is necessary. The justification for restricting or interfering with each right must be considered. In conclusion, there is the application of the proportionality test to each right (DeCew 1997).. Impact of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 on the freedom of the press Contempt of court is the unlawful interference of administration of justice. Contempt of court ensures that the court has the freedom to decide on matters before it, without influence from the press. Contempt of court is directed towards those in the media seeking to obstruct, interfere or undermine the administration of justice and the court. Breach of contempt of court can lead to a fine or imprisonment (Doherty 2003). The law of contempt places restrictions on the freedom of expression which is a crucial freedom to

T. J. Maxx breach Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

T. J. Maxx breach - Research Paper Example Due to the TJX breach not only TJX had to suffer but also different banks had to pay the penalty by reissuing the cards to their customers. Gifford (2009, p 65) states that the protocol in WEP was insecure as it was not encrypted properly. TJX Co. did not apply the obfuscation and encryption policies to protect the consumer data. The security software purchased by TJX was not implemented correctly by the IT department of TJX Co. weak firewall rules are also a major characteristic of the cyber security incident. TJX had to pay around $80 -$100 million as a cost of settlement. Hence, it is important to secure data instead to pay penalties (Matwyshyn, 2009, p.9). According to Matwyshyn (2009, p.10), risk management is an important factor which should be implemented in order to prevent recurrence. This made the attack more vulnerable in nature as it did not have to undergo any type of hindrance. A chief information security officer should be allocated who has information of where the customer data is stored and moreover which of the third parties have access to it. Matwyshyn (2009, p.11) suggests that the external reports of the breach should be given importance. for example if a customer gets access to other customer’s data on a website and reports to the company then it should be checked instead of ignoring the issue. There should be regular monitoring of the customer data and its screening should also be done on regular basis. This helps keeping an eye on the usage of data and to remain up to date. The access to data by the employees should also be limited. According to Ballad, Ballad and Banks (2010, p.110) privileges and access to databases should be given only to the people related to information security of the organization. There should be an eye kept on the employees who want to access data, harm it or use it for some other purposes

Kants Moral Rationality Essay Example for Free

Kants Moral Rationality Essay In Kant’s book, The Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, he believes that the â€Å"good will† is only good in itself and that reason is what produces the â€Å"goodness† of the â€Å"good will.† According to Kant, to act out of a â€Å"good will† means to act out of â€Å"duty,† or doing something because you find it necessary to do. Also, â€Å"good will† is will that is in accordance with reason. He believes everyone has a moral obligation or duty to do actions and he backs his theory up by discussing his idea of the â€Å"moral law. † The â€Å"moral law†, according to Kant, is when one is to act in accordance with the demands of practical reason, or acting done solely out of respect of duty. He says that moral laws will make you will in a certain way and is not subject to something further. Moral laws apply to all rational being in all places at all times. Overall, he believes that morality is on a basis of a priori, or preceding experience. This type of moral law commands us to be truthful from respect for the law and to do the right thing. Morality is about categorical commands that we ought to follow simply because it is the right thing to do. By categorical commands, or categorical imperative, it is supposed to provide us with a way to make moral judgments, which means it is a law. It is a way of coming up with the idea how any action can be rational. He means since all externals are taken from morality, moral commands must be categorical. In his book, Kant explains that he makes five things perfect clear: 1. All moral concepts have their origin entirely a priori in reason. 2. Moral concepts can’t be formed by abstraction from any empirical knowledge or, therefore, from anything contingent. 3. This purity or non-empiricalness of origin is what gives them the dignity of serving as supreme practical principles. 4. Any addition of something empirical takes away just that much of their influence and of the unqualified worth of actions performed in accordance with them. 5. Not only is it necessary in developing a moral theory but also important in our practical lives that we derive the concepts and laws of morals from pure reason and present them pure and unmixed, determining the scope of this entire practical but pure rational knowledge. (Kant 17) Kant goes on to discuss a relationship between the moral law and reason. He says that moral philosophy cannot be merely an empirical inquiry, but that is must be a metaphysical inquiry, and that it must be based on pure practical reason. Pure practical reason is the reason that drives actions without any sensible incentives. Kant also states that Morality is based neither on utility or nature, but on human reason. And this human reason tells us what we ought to do and when we obey this human reason, then we can say we are truly free. Finally, Kant discusses why he thinks that the moral is the rational. He believes that acting dutifully is the same as doing something because rationality tells you to do it. In section three, he discusses how moral principles come from yourself, or your rationality. And how one should treat the idea of will of every rational being as a universal law. Thus, rationality requires us to be moral.

Principles and Practices of Classroom Management

Principles and Practices of Classroom Management Challenging behaviour children are children that disrupts, annoy or get into a disagreement with other people, be it the teachers or their peers. Some also do not interact with the others (McTiernan, 2011). Positive behaviour is being sociable with peers and being able to listen to instructions. In a class, there are bound to have a mixture of both positive and challenging behaviour. Management of the challenging or positive behaviour of children is not the only influence for the child’s behaviour. The arrangement of the physical space also does matter. Different environment is needed for different kind of activities, when the children is doing languages or maths, a quiet environment is needed as the children needs to think and absorb the information. However, when it is time for play, the environment would be noisy. These two activities need to be put at a separated place as the noisy activities might disrupt the quiet activities. In the childcare centre that I am attached in, the quiet and noisy activities are separated. When they arrange the activities in this way, the children would develop a positive behaviour as they feel comfortable in what they are doing. Shelves used in childcare or kindergartens should be low as it is crucial for the teacher to keep their eyes on the children at all times. Shelves are used as a partition for different learning centres and storage space in a childcare or kindergarten (Hodge, 1997, p.10). The shelves in the childcare centre that I am attached in also has low shelves so that the teacher can always see the children and the children can also reach for the toys easily. When the teacher keep an eye on the children at all times, it would prevent challenging behaviour as the children knows that they are being watched by their teachers. Tapes are also used as a sign for boundaries, some centres also has footprints to show the children some pathways from a certain place to another (Kaiser, Rasminsky, 2007, p.105). However, there isn’t any tapes nor foot prints in the childcare I am attached to. Therefore, it does not seem to have any boundary for any learning corners. This triggers challenging behaviour as children not to know where the different centres are and they will start to be rowdy. Social context is when there is friendliness, cooperation and cohesiveness involved. With this three components, it would add up to a sense of community. A community is where one can feel a sense of belong and they all work towards a goal that they all have. When children are friendly with each other, challenging behaviour will not occur so often. This is so as they feel that they are included and they will feel happy. Cooperation is essential in preventing challenging behaviour as with cooperative activities, children with challenging behaviour would tend to behave not so aggressive and corporate (Kaiser, Raminsky, 2010). Being a teacher would mean that there is a need for one to set a good example for the students. They should be caring and be able to lend a listening ear to the children. When the children see that their teachers are so friendly, they will then feel encouraged to behave positively. When children behave positively, challenging behaviour can then be prevented. A relationship between the teacher and student should also be built up. To do so, one should be fair to each and every student and make an effort to know about each student’s background. As a teacher, it is also very important to listen to every student. It should also be necessary to set out some behaviour that is expected from the children. When the children feels that the teacher has built up a relationship with them, it is less likely for them to have a challenging behaviour. As they feel that you are very friendly, they will build up a positive behaviour. However, being friendly is important but one should be careful about not letting the children think that you are their friend instead of teacher as this would lead to them not taking what you say seriously (Smith, Yell, 2013). In different childcare or kindergartens, different strategies are used by teachers in managing classes. Below are two strategies that I have observed the teachers used. Of which one is a rule and one is a routine. Although strategies are supposedly workable, however, there are also times where strategies does not work. In the childcare centre that I am attached to, there are some unique actions made to catch the children’s attention. One of the strategies I observed is that during lessons or storybook reading time, when the children are getting restless and becoming rowdy, the teacher would clap her hands to any tune and most of the children will mimic what is being clapped. However, the corporation of the children depends on how rowdy they are. If they are really rowdy, only some will clap to the tune while the rest continues to be noisy. I have observed that the â€Å"clap to the tune† method only works for a maximum of two to three times. After that, another strategy must be used to capture the children’s attention. I think that this happens as the children gets bored with the method at the third time. The second strategy is actually a rule. There is a rule saying that after every meal, the floor must be swept and the tables must be cleaned by the students. When it was my first day in the childcare centre, I was actually very shocked to see the children all wanting to sweep the floor and clean the tables. I at first thought that they were rewarded after that. However, they were not. After much thinking, I finally understood why they would be so spontaneous. They already take it as a daily routine, to them, it is like bathing or eating. In independent work, much considerations must be made in order for the children to be interested and thus get the motivation to finish that piece of work. The work should be challenging but achievable. This is so as it is important to let children feel a sense of achievement when they first do it. If they fail at the first time, they will not want to do it again the next time. This means that if the child is 5 years old, do not give anything that a 7 year old would do. This is so as they will not know how to do and would not be motivated to finish the work given when they feel that they do not know how to do. Work should also be given according to the child’s interest. For example, if the child is interested in animals, you could provide the child with some paper and recycled materials for him/her to create an animal he or she likes (Weinstein, Romano Mignano, 2011, p.256). The objectives in a small group activity is to let the children learn how to have teamwork and how to help one another. Therefore, the work given should include factors of teamwork. If possible, create an activity that the factor of teamwork is mandatory. Another considerations that must be made is that to help the children team up, this means that one should make sure that they do not mix with the same group of people all the time. This would lead to segregation in the class as over time, they will not want to mix with the other peers. The aim of a small group work is for everybody to mix around, if they only mix with their peers then it would defeat the purpose of a small group work (Weinstein, Romano Mignano, 2011, p.277). I have observed that in the childcare centre that I am attached to, they would try to mix the children around for group work. The last important thing is to make sure no student tries to free load. It is essential to put different children with different strength together so that all of them would have a chance to do something. For example, put a student with good creative but does not have much of a patience with a student that has patience but not much of a creativity (Weinstein, C. S, Romano, M. E. Mignano, A. J., 2011, pg. 278).

The Scarlet Letter and the Egg-carton Essay -- Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter and the Egg-carton An analogy between two subjects can often lead to a better understanding of one or more of the topics. This point can be displayed by a comparison between the classic novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, and a normal egg-carton. An analogy can be made between the concealment of secrets in the novel and the concealment of the eggs by a closed egg-container. Also, a correlation can be made between the revealing of secrets by the characters in The Scarlet Letter and the revealing of the many eggs by an open egg-carton. Lastly, the characters in the novel protect others as an egg carton protects its eggs. Both an egg-carton and The Scarlet Letter provide examples of concealing, revealing, and protecting. As a closed egg carton hides its contents from view, so the characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel hide their shame and secrets. Certain characters in The Scarlet Letter take great lengths to conceal their secret shame. Hester Prynne, the adulterous lover to Reverend Dimmesdale, lied in order to conceal the true meaning of her Scarlet Letter from her daughter, Pearl. Hester tells Pearl, "... as for the scarlet letter, I wear it for the sake of its gold-thread" (Hawthorne 166). Hester's guilt ridden lover, Reverend Dimmesdale, concealed his shame as well. As he himself phrased it, "Cowardice which invariably drew him back [from revealing he was Pearls father], with her tremulous gripe, just when the other impulse [remorse] had hurried him to the verge of a disclosure" (Hawthorne 136). In Dimmesdale's case, it was his fear of shame that kept him from acknowledging his part in Pearl's creation. Besides concealing their shame, the charact... ... did finally figure that the Minister Dimmesdale was Hester's lover, Hester decided to warn Dimmesdale. She warned the Minister because as she believed, "the sacrifice of the clergyman's good name, and death itself, would have been preferable to the alternative [Dimmesdale's torment] which she had taken upon herself to choose." (Hawthorne 177). The novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne can be compared in several ways to an egg-carton. A closed egg-carton can conceal its contents as characters have concealed their secrets. An open egg-container can reveal its eggs as the characters in the novel have revealed secrets. An egg-carton can protect its eggs and Hester Prynne can protect those who were important to her. The novel The Scarlet Letter, when analyzed in depth, can be found to be an even greater piece of American literature.

Prostitution Should be Legalized Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Ess

Prostitution Should be Legalized I think that prostitution should be legalized because it is no different than any other service that we pay to receive. Besides, there are far more serious crimes that require the full attention of our police force than prostitution; therefore, policing it is a costly waste of time and police resources. Furthermore, prostitution is already legal in Singapore, Denmark, and a part of the United States as well. In this Essay, I will discuss these ideas; thereby, proving why prostitution should be legalized. Prostitution should be legalized because it should be treated like any other consensual, in-demand, and legitimate service. A prostitute performs sexual acts in exchange for money or gifts; therefore she sells her body and talents just like any other service. This system of selling sexual favors can be a profitable business and occupation for some. For example, a masseuse provides her service, massages, for people who want and are willing to pay for them. And, she uses her talent to create a source of income. This ...

Gay Marriage Should NOT Be Legal :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

  The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. Yet, same-sex marriage continues to be a highly debated issue that leaves our society searching for answers. Traditionally marriage is the union of a man and a woman. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of marriage reads "to join as a husband and wife according to law and custom; to take as husband or wife; to enter into a close union" (452). Dictionaries are not a biased publication and serve as a guide to what words mean. The words "husband" and "wife" show that marriage is a close union between a man and a woman. This idea could be disputed if we only looked at the third part of a definition?"to enter into a close union." But if we only look at the third part, then we change the definition altogether. Obviously we can not look only at a dictionary to gain a deeply rooted belief; so let us continue with the search for a firm foundation. Elections are being affected by the way people stand on this issue. After the 1992 election, President Clinton, who is said by Human Events to be the most "pro-gay President in history," adamantly tried to abolish the ban on gays in the military. This was a victory cry for many homosexual activists. Then in the 1996 election, President Clinton admitted he would not openly oppose the bill in Congress that defines marriage as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife" ("Same-sex Marriage Imperils the Family"). President Clinton, who generally supports gay rights, gives Americans a reason to believe that perhaps gay marriage is one step too far. Even First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed that marriage should be a union of a man and a woman in her statement, "Marriage has got historic, religious, and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been: between a man and a woman" (State of the Union"). In the recent 2000 Election, both George W. Bush and Al Gore agree with the Defense of Marriage act (DOMA), which "implies that allowing homosexuals to marry constituted an 'attack' on the existing institution" ("State of the Union"). It is difficult to find many issues with which these two candidates can agree. So, it seems that since they do agree, we can assume that a gay marriage would in fact intrude upon the values of not only marriage but also we as a people.

A Comprehensive Time-Series Analysis Essay

The report is mainly focused on the structural time series model as it is applied as a means of portraying the structural behavior of life insurance demand. The study is focused on the impact of selected variables including the price level, revenue, interest rate, seemingly perpetual joblessness and population on life insurance demand. Problem The importance of life insurance companies has increased significantly over the past several years. However, despite this remarkable rise, there is little that is known about the structural behavior of the demand for the products and services offered by life insurance companies, and what external factors drive this demand. The problem of this study aims to tackle is the behavior of life insurance demand within a period of deregulation and reform that is existing within the industry, also exploring the relationship between demand and a specified set of explanatory variables over this time. Feasibility This project has the prospect of being highly feasible. Although there is very little research with regards to life insurance there are extant research conducted pertaining to life insurance and other kinds of insurance in other regions of the world (e. g. Southeast Asia) that is similar in several aspects to our study. Aside from this, the proponents of this research are leaders in the field of life insurance and as such their study is heavily grounded on years of experience and knowledge in the field. This shows the feasibility of such an endeavor. Audience The primary audience for this market study may be useful in assisting life insurance companies in the various facets that comprise their current corporate strategy for Life insurance. One of the cases that this paper can be applied is for the case of seasonal issues. Secondly, this research and similar research in this area can be of interest to other institutions that are similarly involved in life insurance. For example, it might be useful to generalize the results of the comparison of forecasting models to other categories of financial intermediaries such as banks and monetary agencies providing aid in life insurance issues. Topics to investigate This report intends to examine clearly the following areas pertinent to Life Insurance: †¢ Provide a very innovative perspective to the study of life insurance demand. †¢ Determine the relationship between the cyclical and trend components of demand and the specified set of economic variables affecting life insurance. Determine whether insurance demand is stochastic using an singular variation model o Determine if life insurance demand has a deterministic seasonal component attached to it existing within the first quarter of each year of the sample period and a relative fall during the fourth quarter of the year. †¢ Utilize a seemingly unrelated time series model in order to test for the presence of common factors. †¢ Investigate the forecasting power of the singular variation model when it is opposed to the multivariate model that includes explanatory variables Methods/Procedure In an effort to provide an original perspective towards the study of life insurance demand and overcome inadequacies in previous research, this study employs the structural time series model. As opposed to traditional methods, this methodology is based on representing explicitly the components of a series. While these components cannot be observed directly their usefulness can be found in an economic point of view. This paper is based on a sample of quarterly, seasonally unadjusted insurance data covering the period between the second quarter of 1980 and the fourth quarter of 2003 that results in 90 total observations. The main advantage of using quarterly data, as opposed to annual data, is that it allows us to address possible seasonal fluctuations appropriately. Qualifications/Facilities/Resources The researchers of this study are esteemed experts in the field. Part of the group hails from a college institution under the Department of Economics and Finance. The rest are expert leaders in the field of life insurance and are employed in multinational commercial insurance companies. The group is knowledgeable in the statistical method to be used and have been involved both directly and indirectly in the creation of research pertinent to Life insurance.

Miracles of Life Reaction Paper

Remarkably beautiful, the â€Å"Miracles of Life† records human conception and much more. Living and functioning reproductive systems are shown in the video, and there is so much to explore and absorb. I followed the short journey of millions of sperm as they develop and strive mightily to reach the egg. And I noticed that there isn't a guy in the room who can watch footage without squirming! Likewise, magnification of up to half a million times the actual size allowed me to see the egg from its development in an ovary, through the delicate fallopian tube for fertilization, and on to the uterus for growth and eventual birth. I have never thought about what an absolute miracle my life is. I can’t imagine how I came to be. Out of thousands of eggs and millions of sperm, one egg and one sperm united to produce me. Had the union of sperm and egg come a day or even a month earlier or later, I might have been very different, maybe the opposite sex or with blonde hair or longer legs. The exact person that I am, born to my parents, on the date and time I was born, with the DNA structure I have has about a 1:400,000,000,000 (one in 400 billion) chance of existing. If I don’t call that miraculous, then I don’t know what that is! The film has shown me something profoundly beautiful and yet has left its fundamental mystery intact. The â€Å"Miracles of Life† is exceptional and it is a documentary that can also be considered as art.

The Biomedical Mode of Health

The biomedical model of health Introduction In health psychology it is seen that health is defined by different models. One such model is the biomedical model of health which revolves around the aspect of a healthy body. The model was introduced in the nineteenth century and has been used widely to diagnose diseases by the doctors. According to the model every disease or disorder is caused by a physical harm. In other words the diseases or disorders are caused by germs or genes which might be changing the internal environment of the body to cause the disease.Although it has been introduced in the nineteenth century, the roots of the model date back to the 17th century when Cartesian dualism existed. After its introduction the model replaced the previously famous Humoral paradigm in the twentieth century. The discovery of antibiotics proved to be a breakthrough in the approval of the model. However in the late twentieth century some of the sociologists again started questioning the in tegrity of the biomedical model of health as they considered the social wellbeing of an individual to be as important as the biological well being (Curtis 2002; Taylor 2008; Lovallo 2005; Havelka et al 2009).Biomedical Model of Health The biomedical model of health takes its roots from the Cartesian Dualism which is dated back to the seventeenth century in the times of Descartes. Cartesian Dualism revolved around the aspect that both mind and body are two separate entities irrespective of their functions. In a similar fashion the model considers physical causes to be the main reason for the disease. The model has replaced the previously followed Humoral Paradigm which was formed by the Greeks.According to this paradigm the diseases in a human body are caused by a certain abnormality in the four basic fluids of the body. In those times the four basic fluids of the body were believed to be blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm. The treatment of this paradigm also revolved around t he maintenance of these four basic fluids. One thing that the Humoral paradigm and biomedical model of health have in common is that both of them consider bodily factors to be the cause of the disease (Curtis 2002).The biomedical model of health revolves around certain factors which have to be present. The model states that for a person to be unhealthy they have to have some sort of biological abnormality. It also states that every disease has some specific cause which has to be diagnosed by the doctor in order to cure the patient. It also involves the process of treatment and states that the human body can be reversed back to the normal condition if the right treatment is served to the diseased person. It states that psychological and social processes do not take part in the disease causing process.Moreover it also assumes that mind and body are two different entities that have no such relation with each other and lastly the health of the whole society is dependent on the resources that are available to the medical society as a whole (Taylor 2008). The model is largely followed all over the world and its principles are also seen to be the most convincing these days. It is because of this model that researches are being conducted on the biochemical and genetic processes of the body to find out about the different diseases.Moreover all the doctors being trained these days are trained on the principles of this model as they have to learn about the internal environment of a human being so that they can treat them. In other words they have to understand the human body so that they can intervene in the process of disease that may be causing harm to the patient (Curtis 2002; Taylor & Field 2007). It has helped to carry out several projects have proved to be a breakthrough in treating various diseases occurring in the society. The Human Genome Project is an example of the advantages of this model.Human Genome Project was a project launched in the year 1990 by interna tional authorities to find out the sequencing of the human genome along with the identification of the chemical base pairs. Human genomes are the genes which contain information about the hereditary characteristics that an individual would possess. In human beings these are found in the form of genes located on the chromosomes. It is this human genome project which allowed the doctors to learn a lot about the structure of chromosomes, the proteins coded by the genes, and the number of genes in a human being.It has also made the surgeries safe and effective. Moreover it has also assisted in controlling the diseases occurring all over the world and this can be noticed in the statistics of morality in the different nations. The diseases which were previously considered to be untreatable can now be treated because of the knowledge acquired after the introduction of this model. As an example the cases of pneumonia and appendicitis can be considered which previously were untreatable. Pneu monia is a disease caused by the bacteria Pneumococcus and affects the lungs whereas appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix.Pneumonia is a life threatening condition which could not be cured previously but nowadays it can be cured with the help of antibiotics. Appendicitis is also a lethal condition which can be cured with the help of surgery. (Taylor & Field 2007; Havelka et al 2009; Robbins et al 2005). Limitations of the Biomedical Model of Health The biomedical model of health has its own shortcomings and is termed as reductionist by the opponents. In other words it does not broaden its concept towards the factors other than genes and chemicals for example the factors relating to economic or social environment of the individual.This however is covered by the holistic approach which takes the whole situation in consideration before taking a step. Similarly another factor that is mentioned is the relation of the model to the physical causes of the diseases concerned. The opponents point out that not all the diseases are related to physical causes but some of them are caused by a multitude of the factors. An example of the heart disease atherosclerosis can be cited here in which the factors of genetics, diet, and lifestyle play a role (Curtis 2002).It is also criticized to be more related to the aspect of curing rather than preventing the disease. It is believed to be totally ignoring the aspects of social and psychological variants which do have a role in the progression of a disease. The treatment process is also related to these variants and again this model does not take into consideration these variants because of which some treatments do not go successful (Taylor 2008). Lastly, the model emphasizes on the body in particular irrespective of the role that mind plays in the health of an individual.This aspect of the model can be denied because the research these days show that the mind plays a great role in influencing the body. Some diseases may be caused because the person may be living in unstable economic conditions and these conditions are not taken into consideration by the model. An example can be cited here in the therapies that are recommended for people who are suffering from different diseases. For example the cognitive therapy recommended for patients suffering from cancer. Cognitive therapy is recommended in the treatment of certain cancers as individuals undergoing he treatment suffer from symptoms like pain, memory loss, lack of concentration, irrational behaviour and mood swings. Cognitive therapies can help in relieving all these symptoms as shown by different researches. (Curtis 2002; Scipio et al 2006). Conclusion The biomedical model of health has been questioned by many sociologists as it does not take the aspect of social well being in its definition. Health is a factor which is dependent on all the aspects of life as put down by the sociologists.Economic and social factors should also be considered wh en analyzing the health of an individual. These factors also determine the emotions of an individual and hence the person can be sociologically unfit. In other words it is not necessary for a healthy person to be sociologically fit in the current definition of the biomedical model of health. In the latter half of the twentieth century it was realized that the biomedical model of health can be applied to the ones who are diseased biologically but not the ones who are unfit by other means.This approach therefore led to the adaptation of a new approach known as holistic approach. It is seen that nowadays the biomedical model is adopted for curing purposes along with other factors of society when curing a disease (Curtis 2002; Taylor & Field 2007; Derick & Halligan 1970; Checkland et al 2008). References Lovallo, W. R. , & Lovallo, W. R. (2005). Stress & health: Biological and psychological interactions. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications. Checkland, K. , Harrison, S. , McDonald, R . , Grant, S. , Campbell, S. , & Guthrie, B. (January 01, 2008).Biomedicine, holism and general medical practice: responses to the 2004 General Practitioner contract. Sociology of Health & Illness, 30, 5, 788-803. Havelka, M. , Lucanin, J. D. , & Lucanin, D. (January 01, 2009). Biopsychosocial model–the integrated approach to health and disease. Collegium Antropologicum, 33, 1, 303-10. Taylor, S. E. (2008). Health psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Curtis, A. J. (2002). Health psychology. London: Routledge. Taylor, S. , & Field, D. (2007). Sociology of health and health care. Oxford: Blackwell Pub.Wade, Derick T, & Halligan, Peter W. (1970). Do biomedical models of illness make for good healthcare systems?. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. Kumar, Vinay, Abul K. Abbas, Nelson Fausto, Stanley L. Robbins, and Ramzi S. Cotran. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders, 2005. Abernethy AP, Keefe FJ, McCrory DC, Scipio CD, Matchar DB. Behavioural therapies for the management of cancer pain: a systematic review. In: Flor H, Kalso E, Dostrovsky JO, editors. Proceedings of the 11th World Congress on Pain. Seattle: IASP Press; 2006. p. 789–98.

An in Depth Study of Marketing Strategies Followed by Marriott International Globally and in India

SYNOPSIS In this essay the author would like to share briefly about what is marketing. What are the four P’s of marketing i. e. the marketing mix? Also discuss the need for marketing in general as well as in the hospitality sector. In this essay the author would concentrate mostly upon the marketing approaches followed in the hospitality industry. Also the essay discusses in detail the marketing strategies adopted by the Marriott International globally and the marketing strategies followed by the J. W. Marriott Mumbai. The essay critiques these strategies and the author offers his insight upon these and what other strategies may be followed to further enhance the hotels performance. Chapter 1: Introduction There are many ways to define what is marketing the better of these definitions are all customer oriented and are based on customer satisfaction. Marketing is the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others. – Philip Kotler What the author is trying to say is that marketing is the interaction of the seller with his buyer to make the buyer/consumer purchase the product or service the seller is trying to sell. Anything an entrepreneur does to sell his product or service to his potential customer can be termed as marketing or a part of it. Often people confuse the term ‘marketing’ to mean the same as ‘advertisement or publicity’ thought to some extent this may be true but in reality advertisement and publicity are small aspect of marketing. Marketing today is not just advertising ones product or service it is the process of building ones brand. Marketing is basically ones strategy for allocating their resources such as time and money in order to achieve ones objectives although no marketing strategy shall work for you as long as one identifies their potential customers and targets them. The consumers that need your product or service shall purchase them any way but what marketing does is it makes these potential customers aware of the products or services that you are providing. Hence marketing is vital for any and every establishment as it is the key element in improving sales and hence increasing profitability. Often it may happen so that you are offering a better product or services but due to lack of appropriate marketing strategy your competition may steel away your potential customer. Thus this brings us to why is marketing so important for each organization. Marketing is a large topic covering a range of aspects such as public relations, advertising, sales, and promotions. A few years back the common belief in organizations was that the employees in the marketing division were drawing large salaries for no work that they did, organizations believed that marketing was a process that was simple and could be done by anyone. This thought process may still be seen in some firms but today most organizations recognise the importance of marketing. In today’s competitive market were every organization offers a superior product, service or a combination of both it is only the marketing strategy the organization adopts that gives it the edge over their competition. In the given market scenario where consumers are educated and well aware one can not expect to sell an inferior product to their consumers they may succeed at first but that is where the organization shall start loosing their brand value and shall not be able to retain their customers hence in the long run it shall still be a loss. But taking an opposite situation where the establishment is offering a superior product or service at a competitive rate but employees little or no marketing strategies shall have even lower sale and hence lower profitability. So to succeed a mix of quality and its publicity is necessary so that the establishment’s potential consumers are aware of what the organization has to offer. With apt marketing strategies an organization can build a brad name for itself so people shall recognise the name whenever they see it. In such a case it may often happen that a newer establishment say ‘X’ offering the same product at a lower price may not be able to steel the original establishments customers as they will recognise the brand and were perceive that the product or service offered here is superior to a brand such as ‘X’ they have never heard of. Such is the importance of marketing it does not only help take to product to its consumers it helps retain those customers. Marketing helps the firm in understanding what their customers expect from the organization, with this knowledge it helps fulfil any other needs the customers may have from the organization which is beneficial to the organization on many levels. Micro and Macro Marketing Largely speaking, micro marketing is concept that deals with introduction or familiarization of given product to its most suitable segment which is its group of potential consumers. In Micro marketing, the objective is to craft or establish the most useful way to persuade individuals or a group of people to give a higher consideration to your designated product over the potential competitors. Micro marketing’s final goal of sales is which may be achieved by following a sequence of steps that are determining the customer and product relations, implementation, segmentation and by measuring of results. Other than this, there are many various ways and different modes to market to ones consumer which include branding, word of mouth, placement of product, and many other such ways. With the current technological advancement greater opportunities have been made available with the help of computers, the internet, by sending emails, text messaging, pod casting, interactive advertising and P2P networks. These new methods have nearly replaced all the old approaches such as print marketing. Take for example, today news papers and magazines are increasing relying on online marketing over the traditional methodology. The terms, macro marketing refers to a much broader point of economic contact amongst larger business entities. Macro marketing is the umbrella term for volution of inter and intra actions that sway larger entities such as global markets in Asia and U. S. to interact in terms of private business. Although one may propose that macro marketing is an idea which is built on micro marketing, one can assume the reverse impact as well. It is obvious that small building blocks of global economy which is micro marketing will have an effect on the larger picture or say the larger building blocks such as macro marketing may have an influence the micro marketing by altering the very dynamics of markets, demands, and many similar factors. By this we can say that the two concepts are inter-dependent. The interaction between macro and micro marketing is what determines the outcome of marketing efforts. Chapter 2: Content In this document the author would like to about the importance of marketing in the hospitality industry. Marketing is necessary in the hospitality industry for both profit and the welfare of the industry. Marketing helps in improving room occupancy and number of covers as primarily it brings in more customers. Other than this how it affects the welfare of the organization is by giving the organization the knowledge they need to bring their product and services up to their customers requirements this helps in customer satisfaction hence ensuring the guests return stay or visit for a meal apart from this it helps in brand building for the organization as the best publicity is one that spreads by word of mouth and it is only a deeply satisfied guest that goes out and praises the hotel he/she stayed at. Marketing is not just a set of skills or techniques that may be used to enhance satisfaction for many organizations it may represent the very way of doing business. Marketing is not just outside the hotel employees need to market what they have to offer to the guests that are staying with them as well. What the hotel has to offer must be made aware to the guests staying at the hotel this is not only to help increase revenues but it also assist in improving guest satisfaction. To plan a marketing strategy a number of decisions must be taken first some of which are, firstly the head of the marketing department must sit with the other HOD’s including the corporate heads and get an understanding of what are the objectives they plan to obtain from it other than this putting together the objectives of marketing in general budget allotted to the same must also be decided. Before planning a marketing strategy the marketing employees must know their property well, they must have complete knowledge of the prime prospects the property has to offer and their competitors. To start with they must set up realistic objectives that can be achieved easily and then begin formulating their marketing plan. A marketing strategy must be disciplined where in all the decisions that lead to production are in a sequence with a sound strategic plan. The marketing plan must be achievement oriented but at the same time it must be flexible so it is applicable to all the departments of the hotel and should be adjustable if required to increase effectiveness. To achieve a marketing plan that can fulfil these requirements one may use the four factors of the ‘marketing mix’. Marketing Mix’ is one of the most popular terms in marketing it is also known as the four P’s of marketing as it is based on four main factors that are product, place, price and promotion. The four P’s are parameter that a manager can use to control the marketing environment so as to obtain positive results from the target market. Neil Borden in 1953, in his American M arketing Association presidential address, took the idea of ‘James Culliton’ (1948) one step further and the term â€Å"marketing-mix† was coined. After which a prominent marketer by the name E. Jerome McCarthy, proposed a four P’s classification in 1960, which has seen wide use ever since. The author would like to elaborate what are these four P’s and their importance in establishing an efficient marketing plan. †¢Product – an object or service that is produced on large scales with set volumes taking in to account a market study that helps decide this volume of production. †¢Place – represents the place the object or service may be purchased. In the case of an object it may also refer to the modes of distribution of the object to the target market. Even for certain services this may apply such as outdoor catering but in the case of the hotel industry this may often not be possible so it applies more only to the location only. Although the channels through which it may be promoted may remain the same. †¢Price – would represent the price a customer must pay to purchase the object or use the service. The price is determined different factors such as the costs involved, the competitor’s price but most importantly what is the perceived value for the product or service for your target market. Promotion – is basically the communication a marketer would use to promote his/her product or service in the market this may be of any sort such as advertising word of mouth or through public relations. Advertising is any kind of communication that has to be paid for such as on the television or the radio, etc. where as public relation is where the firm does not pay directly it is in the form of endorsements, sponsorshi p deals, trade fairs and exhibitions. Largely defined, optimizing the marketing mix is the key duty of marketing. Offering a product or service with the appropriate mixture of the four P’s marketers can enhance their results and marketing effectiveness. Making a small change in the marketing mix is considered to be a tactical change and a large change in the four P’s is considered strategic. The author would talk about the marketing strategies adopted by the J. W. Marriott Mumbai also a brief about the Marriott International in India and globally. In order to do this the author would first talk about Marriott International first so we have an idea as to why these marketing strategies may have been adopted. Marriott International, Inc. is a global operative and franchisor of a broad assortment of hotels and associated lodging facilities. Its world renowned â€Å"Spirit to Serve† company culture, customer focus and employee-centred practices have led to the company being called the most admired in its industry (Fortune Magazine). Marriott International’s legacy can be traced back to founder J. Willard Marriott's experiences as a Mormon missionary who later started operating a root beer stand. He and his wife, Alice, opened the stand in Washington, D. C. , in 1927. From there to now where the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia that is Marriott International’s longest operating hotel, and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2009. This goes to show that Marriott has come a long way. Their son and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, J. W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr. has led the company to spectacular worldwide growth. Today, Marriott International has over 3,200 hotels and lodging properties located in the United States and in 66 other countries and territories. 1927: J. Willard Marriott got married to Alice Sheets in Salt Lake City, Utah, and moved to Washington DC with his new bride. That spring, J. Willard and Alice opened a nine-stool Root Beer stand, which they later call â€Å"The Hot Shoppe. † Winter 1927/1928: Hot Mexican food items are added to the menu at the â€Å"The Hot Shoppe† 1929: The Hot Shoppe Inc. , officially incorporated, invents curb service. 1934: Hot Shoppe expands to Baltimore, Maryland. 1937: They began airline catering begins at Hoover. This division was named â€Å"In-Flite Catering† and served to the Capital, Eastern, and American Airlines. 1939: Marriott landed their first ever food-service management contract with the U. S. Treasury. During World War II, The Hot Shoppe’s feed thousands of workers who moved to the nation's capital to work for the defence industry. 1945: The 1st Hot Shoppe’s cafeteria was established at McLean Gardens, Washington DC. Hot Shoppe’s also landed their first government feeding contract. In-Flite got their first airport terminal food-service contract at Miami International Airport. 1953: Marriott stock became public at $10. 25/share and sold out in two hours. 1955: Marriott Food Service got their first institutional and school feeding contracts at Children's Hospital and American University. Marriott's Highway Division opened several Hot Shoppe’s on the New Jersey turnpike. 1957: Marriott opened their 1st hotel, a 365-room property by the name ‘Twin Bridges Motor Hotel’ in Arlington, Virginia. 1964: J. W. Marriott, Jr. , was named President. 1965: Marriott Foundation was established. 1967: Corporate name is changed from Hot Shoppe’s Inc. , to Marriott Corporation. The company opened their Fairfield Farm Kitchens, a food production and purchasing facility in Beaver Heights, Maryland. In-Flite opened a facility in Venezuela; Marriott acquires Camelback Inn, its first resort property, and bought over Bob's Big Boy Restaurants. 969: Marriott's 1st international hotel opens in Acapulco, Mexico. 1972: J. W. Marriott, Jr. , was named CEO. 1973: The Company obtained their first hotel-management contracts. 1975: Marriott opened their 1st European hotel in Amsterdam, Holland. 1976: The Company opened two theme parks, both called â€Å"Great America,â₠¬  that were located in Santa Clara, California, and Gurnee, Illinois respectively. 1977: The Company celebrated their 50th anniversary and the sales toped $1 billion. 1979: A new corporate headquarter was built in Bethesda, Maryland. 1981: Opened their 100th hotel in Hawaii. 982: The Company acquired Host International, Inc. 1982: Marriott acquired Gino's and converted it to Roy Rogers. 1983: 1st Courtyard hotel was inaugurated. 1984: Marriott entered the vacation, time-share and senior-living markets. 1985: J. Willard Marriott, Sr. , passed away. Marriott Distribution Centre opened in Savage, Maryland. 1987: Marriott acquired Residence Inn Company and entered the lower-moderate lodging segment with Fairfield Inn. 1989: 500th hotel was inaugurated in Warsaw, Poland Bridges. Marriott also started a Foundation for People with Disabilities. 990: Pathways to Independence: which was Marriott's Welfare to Work Program was established. 1993: The Company split into two Marriott Internatio nal and Host Marriott Corporation. 1995: Marriott acquired the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC. 1997: Marriott acquired the Renaissance Hotel Group and introduces brands such as TownePlace Suites, Marriott Executive Residences and Fairfield Suites brands. 1998: Marriott opened their 1,500th hotel. Sales reached $8 billion. Sodexho Alliance acquired Marriott's food-service and facilities-management businesses. Marriott acquired 98% of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC. 1999: Marriott acquired the ExecuStay corporate housing company. 2000: The 2,000th Marriott property opened in Tampa, Florida. 2002: Marriott celebrated their 75th anniversary. The company now had over 2,300 hotels, 156 Senior Living Services Communities with over 200000 associates, and were operational in 63 countries and territories with annual sales of over $20 billion. 2002: Marriott announced the sale of its Senior Living Services Communities and the Marriott Distribution Services. 002: Marriott opened its 500th extended-stay hotel, which comprised of a total of 400 Residence Inns and 100 TownePlace Suites. 2002: Fairfield Inn opened their 500th hotel in Rogers, Arkansas. 2002: Marriott opened their 2,500th hotel worldwide, with the completion of the 950-room JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa that was located in Phoenix, Arizona. 2002: Marriott had increased its North American market share to 8% total. 2003: Marri ott revenue totalled up to $9 billion in 2003 and in $476 million as gross profits. Marriott added over 31,000 rooms and timeshare units in the year 2003, bringing the global system to 2,718 hotels and timeshare units which made up for the unbelievable 490,564 rooms that Marriott now had globally. 2003: Marriott completed the sale of their Senior Living Service Communities and the Marriott Distribution Services. 2003: Marriott Courtyard opened their 500th hotel in Minneapolis Downtown and SpringHill Suites opened their 100th hotel in Dallas-Addison, Texas 2004: Ramada International opened their 200th hotel in Amsterdam. Marriott revenues totalled to a sum of $10 billion in 2004 and $594 million as net profit. 500,000th room opened in London, located at the West India Quay Marriott Hotel in Canary Wharf district of London. 2004: Marriott Rewards welcomed their 20,000,000th member. Marriott Vacation Club International celebrated their 20th anniversary. 2005: Marriott announced the sale of Ramada International hotels. Marriott and Whitbread completed the transaction, forming a 50/50 joint venture to got hold of Whitbread's portfolio of 46 franchised Marriott and Renaissance hotels of more than 8,000 rooms. As element of the joint venture agreement, Marriott took over running of the hotels, and the joint venture intended to sell them to new owners subject to long term Marriott management agreements. In 2007, Marriott celebrated two significant milestones in Marriott's history. The first was the 80th anniversary of our founding and the second was 50th anniversary of their entry into the hotel business. The 80 year old heritage of innovation and spirit to serve, Bill Marriott launched a blog in January that was called Marriott on the Move. On January 8th 2007 Marriott. om set a record by generating more than 55,000 reservations in one day, posting a record 55,109 reservations that generated over $17 million in gross revenue. Starting from February, restaurants in more than 2,300 Marriott hotels all through the U. S. and Canada no longer used partially-hydrogenated oils which were a primary source of Tran’s fats, this culmination of an eight-year effort. Marriott is honoured with 20 07 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award from U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company is well on its way to meet its goal to reduce greenhouse gases by 6% per guest room by 2010. The J. W. Marriott Mumbai is the only hotel of the brand ‘J. W. Marriott’ in India. The J. W. Marriott Mumbai is located in a fashionable and up-market Juhu area . It overlooks the scenic waters of the Arabian Sea, J. W. Marriott Mumbai is the preferred hotspot of Bollywood celebrities and stars. This world class resort style hotel is merely 20 minutes from the domestic and the international airports and is in close proximity to most of Mumbai's major business parks. The Hotel is home to the only one of its kind spa in Mumbai called ‘The Quan Spa’ and the stylish nightclub ‘Enigma’. At the J. W. Marriott Mumbai they have world class Food and Beverage offerings, the Hotel houses some of India’s restaurants that specialise in Italian, Thai, Teppanyaki and Indian cuisines respectively. As Mumbai is the Financial Capital of India so the hotel had plenty of business travellers but due to its location and the hotel being celebrity hotspot leisure travellers preferred to stay at the Marriott over the other properties in Mumbai. The J. W. Marriott Mumbai is a 355 room property spread over five floors. It has 9 meeting rooms and a total of over 16500 sq. t in meeting space. S. W. O. T. Analysis of the J. W. Marriott Mumbai Strengths – †¢Location (Place) – Built in Mumbai the financial capital on India in the celebrity strewn locality of Juhu. It is located on the beach with a beautiful view of the Arabian Sea a luxury business hotel that offers even its business travellers the feel of living in a resort. †¢Ease of Access – it is just 20 minutes away from both the domestic and the international airports and is closely located to the business parks in the city. †¢Food and Beverage outlets – the J. W. Marriott Mumbai has three world class speciality restaurants Indian, Italian and oriental cuisines respectively along with this they have a 24 hour multi cuisine coffee shop, a cake shop, a formal bar at the lobby level and a nightclub. All together the hotel ensure that a guest staying with the Marriott shall never find the need to go outside the hotel for any of their Food and beverage needs. †¢Brand – the J. W. Marriott is one of the highest recognised brands under Marriot International there are only 40 around the world and only the one in India so making it exclusive. It is a brand that is looked up to globally hence for someone that has never been to Mumbai even shall book here looking at the brand alone. †¢Service – the Marriott around the world is renowned for their culture ‘Sprit to Serve’. This goes to show that the service at the J. W. Marriott Mumbai was exceptional and always ensured that their customers were more than just satisfied with their stay. †¢The hotel has nine meeting rooms, fast internet access in the rooms as well as in all the public areas in the hotel along with any other services a business traveller may need made available at the push of a button. The J. W. Marriott houses a one of a kind ‘Quan Spa’ and other recreational facilities such as a pool overlooking the sea along with a salt water pool yoga sessions held daily. Weaknesses – †¢The J. W. Marriott Mumbai was built a quite some time back it came into operation a few years after it was completely furnished so even thought the hotel has been renovated a few times it still require a major up gradation in its interiors especially the bathrooms fixtures. Though its location is in a popular area that is strewn with celebrities it is still located in the suburb hence the niche business cliental that has work in south Mumbai usually do not prefer to stay here. †¢As the Marriott has a mix of both business and well leisure travellers it can not concentrate on either type of the cliental completely and often cannot market the hotel appropriately. Opportunities – †¢The J. W. Marriott Mumbai would increase customer satisfaction considerably by refurbishing the rooms and bathrooms. Competitive pricing would help increasing the hotel business. †¢It is the only hotel of its standard in the vicinity. Threats – †¢There is traffic congestion upon the road right outside the Marriott during rush hour which makes it hard to get in or out of the hotel even. †¢The hotel has s ecurity threats as it is right on the beach. The author would now talk about the marketing strategies adopted by the J. W. Marriott Mumbai. Guest loyalty programs – Marriott rewards programs is loyalty program, where when a guest spends 1000 dollar and earns 10 points or 2 miles Guest after collection certain amount of points can redeem them with free stay at any of Marriott property. Other than the obvious where this helps in enhancing guest satisfaction. This helps the company by getting loyalty from guest and it also ensures that the guest stays only in Marriott properties world wide. Guests get to different level after spending certain nights and the rewards increase as the level increase. The various levels are as follows base level that is the entry level above this is the silver level where the guest a 72 hr prior reservation the then there is the gold level where the guest gets a 48 hr prior reservation two way transfer lounge access and so on to platinum and platinum premium where the guests get reservations 24 hours prior all the other advantages along with P6 amenities. Along with this the guests get points for every purchase and discounts at the food and beverage outlets as well as at the spa. Corporate rates – special rates offered to corporate houses or companies judging by the business they will bring in the future. Package rates – special rates for guests taking an all meals inclusive plan or even for a single meal. Group rate – a special rate for a group staying with the hotel as they bring in volume sales. Online marketing, advertising online for the hotel and what they have to offer. Regional offers – special regional offers that the hotel may offer during the time of need such as a slack period. By advertising on the hotel cars to increase awareness in the target market. By improving performance of the new employees and to improve their talent and motivating them so they in turn will help increase guest satisfaction. These are the marketing strategies that are followed globally and at the J. W. Marriott Mumbai. Chapter 3: Critique Although the J. W. Marriott Mumbai offers numerous promotional offers to its customers as part of its marketing strategies but there are still some shortcomings at that the author would like to elaborate on. Firstly the J. W. Marriott targets both leisure travellers as well as business travellers hence its marketing strategies are mixed and do not completely target either of the markets. Hence they loose out customers in both these sectors the business travellers may prefer to stay at the business hotels in South Mumbai and the leisure may prefer to stay at the resort hotels located at Mud Island as these hotels not only offer better holiday packages but are also more cost effective. Guest loyalty programs today are very common every hotel chain offers their own loyalty program hence there is nothing unique about these programs any more and they fail to draw customers so marketers today say that running these loyalty programmes is not cost efficient anymore. The author would like to suggest as to what marketing strategies according to him the J. W. Marriott Mumbai must practise in order to perform better. To start with at the Marriott they must devise separate packages for leisure travellers and for business travellers this way not only does the hotel have larger number of targeted clients but by targeting them separately the hotel can identify their needs separately and increase customer satisfaction by this considerably, it shall also assist in improving guest satisfaction considerably. The hotel must capitalise on their view and promote it on the basis of that. As all the hotels shall offer the same services but the advantage they have here at the Marriott is that they can offer the guest he/she may not get anywhere else in Mumbai. The hotel can also promote the hotel as a celebrity hub this may help increase the accommodation as leisure travellers may like to know that they are staying at a hip location percentage but will drastically the number of covers and the spa and other such recreational activities usage by the locals. The hotel is located very close to both the domestic as well as the international airports hence providing an ideal stay for guest that are on a tight schedule and have no time to waste in travel. The marketers at the Marriott can devise a marketing strategy around this as well. The J. W. Marriott has some of the finest restaurants in the city it also houses one of the most popular night clubs in the city so this may be used to attract leisure travellers. Chapter 4: Conclusion In the document above the author stated the marketing approaches that Marriott uses globally and in their Mumbai property. The author then offered his insight on these approaches and offered a few other approaches that the hotel may adapt to in order to perform better. But we must take into account that even though flawed or cost ineffective some marketing strategies such guest loyalty programs may not be discontinued as firstly the guests that are already using these programs shall be deeply dissatisfied other that this since most hotel chains today are offering these programs the guests today expect to get such offers and may not choose to stay with the hotel if such are not in place. So though not having these programs may be profitably in the beginning but a global brand like Marriott cannot afford to loose out on customers on a long term basis at such a small price. What the author would like to conclude by saying so is that not much may be done about the marketing strategies globally but a marketing division in each hotel must be present that shall have decision making authority so as to implement regional marketing strategies based on the four P’s of the marketing mix or even out side them to ensure that the hotels performance is enhanced. Bibliography Books †¢Effective Marketing, Alan H. Anderson and Thelma Dobson †¢The Great Marketing Turnaround, Stan Rapp and Tom Collins †¢Marketing-Led Strategic Change, Nigel Piercy †¢Marketing Management (2005) , Prentice Hall Kotler Philip, Keller Lane Web Pages †¢www. blog. marketo. com/blog/2007/01/why_you_need_ma. html †¢www. marriott. com †¢www. CitizenBase. org †¢www. marketing. about. com †¢www. themarketingmentor. com †¢www. marketmyproducts. com

Discuss the value of Information Technology and Management Information Research Paper - 1

Discuss the value of Information Technology and Management Information Technology to you and your chosen profession (mine is Accounting) - Research Paper Example On the other hand, Accounting is an important aspect of all companies. Unlike IT and MIS, Accounting has been in existence for the longest time. This mainly addresses the financial state of a company. It involves bookkeeping, which involves bank statements, company ledgers, and the overall tracking of finances in the company, including money in, money out, and business assets. Today, there is a high level of interaction between different disciplines. Similarly, the fields of accounting, IT, and MIS show a high level of interaction, as the field of accounting adopts the skills and knowledge of IT and MIS in its processes. Nonetheless, the nature of IT and MIS make them to be applicable in diverse disciplines. This paper therefore, will focus on the value of information technology and management information systems in the field of accounting. The field of accounting today has become dependent on information technology and management information systems, as it adopts various elements in these, to enhance the efficiency of its processes. In information technology, there are a myriad of new integration approaches, as well as effective methods of managing data. Therefore, use of information technology translates into increased efficiency in data retrieval and storage, and overall management of data in accounting. Therefore, this aspect of information technology is valuable in accounting, since it makes the different procedures and processes in accounting to be simple, and leads to an increased and focused use of computed information in the field. Therefore, with regard to efficiency in accounting, information technology has played the major role in achieving this. Nonetheless, with the advancements in information technology, it is expected that the field of accounting will as well adopt the new techniques in information tech nology, and therefore, increase its